Local Newspapers Still the Heart of their Communities

by Amy D. Fienen

In spite of the fact that newspapers have taken a major hit in the past decade as people turn more and more to the Internet for news, community newspapers like this one remain an integral part of the cities they serve.

In spite of the fact that print journalism is what helps keep food on our table, I’m as guilty as the next person of reading the news online. instead of walking out to the driveway and picking up the daily paper to read during breakfast like I used to, I open my yogurt and pick up my iPhone. I scroll through my Facebook news feed, where the day’s news is right at my fingertips, courtesy of the local and national news media outlets I follow. I can read what interests me, and skip what doesn’t. In my AP (Associated Press) app, I glance through the top headlines and read the articles that grab my attention. It’s just so easy.

So with the convenience of online news, how is it that, according to the National Newspaper Association, our country has 7,000 non-daily newspapers, as opposed to 1,408 dailies? Community Newspaper readership sits at an impressive 10 million each week, with the average reader spending just shy of 40 minutes with each edition of their community paper. 73% read all or most of the paper, and their most frequently read topic — local news — is why community papers are surviving while dailies struggle.

We can read AP news anywhere, but if we want to know what’s going on in our community, the local newspaper is where people still turn. Here at the Roundup, our focus is on telling the stories that Clovis is proud of: educators who truly care about their students, residents contributing to the betterment of their community, young people that give us hope for the next generation, and events that make Clovis such as desirable place to live. You won’t find any recycled news here. We tell the stories that you’re not going to find in your Facebook feed or in your favorite news app. We tell the stories that affect you on a local level.

Do you know of a local story that you think needs to be told? We’d love to hear from you.